Method and Apparatus to Capture and Transmit Dense Diagnostic Data of a File System

1. A computer implemented method for generating file system metadata comprising: identifying a plurality of units of data in a file system; determining if a first unit of data in the plurality of units of data contains file system metadata; writing the file system metadata from the unit of data to a diagnostic file system, in response to a determining that the first unit of data contains the file system metadata; determining if the first unit of data contains user data; and writing a sparse object to a diagnostic file, in response to a determining that the first unit of data contains the user data, wherein the diagnostic file is associated with the file system metadata.

2. The computer implemented method for generating file system metadata of claim 1 further comprising: associating the diagnostic file with the diagnostic file system; and mounting the diagnostic file system.

3. The computer implemented method for generating file system metadata of claim 1 further comprising: consolidating the diagnostic file into a dense diagnostic data.

4. The computer implemented method for generating file system metadata of claim 3 , wherein consolidating further comprises: storing the diagnostic file in the diagnostic file system; and compressing the diagnostic file system.

5. The computer implemented method for generating file system metadata of claim 3 further comprising: transmitting the dense diagnostic data.

6. The computer implemented method for generating file system metadata of claim 5 , wherein consolidating further comprises: storing the diagnostic file system as a file; and compressing the file to form the dense diagnostic data.

7. The computer implemented method for generating file system metadata of claim 5 further comprising: creating the diagnostic file system; and mounting the diagnostic file system.

8. The computer implemented method for generating file system metadata of claim 7 , wherein consolidating further comprises: storing the diagnostic file system as a file; and compressing the file to a dense diagnostic data.

9. The computer implemented method for generating file system metadata of claim 8 , wherein a unit of data comprises a block.

10. The computer implemented method for generating file system metadata of claim 1 , wherein the determining step and the writing the sparse object step are repeated for each unit of data in the plurality of units of data.